Highlights:
As a former philosophy teacher, I taught my students that we should always be learning, as we are always growing. The act of living, not merely existing, is to constantly reexamine one’s life, to question, and to act. It was a classroom mantra that we ALL shared and when necessary, we served as reminders that the greatest of life’s mission remains to find the state of eudemonia, a state of happiness, that allows you to actualize your self at the fullest capacity.
Apart from being a husband, a father, a friend, and a human being, it has been my life’s honor to serve the state of North Carolina, and the greater Shire, its students, and schools, in multiple capacities, as the 2018 NC TOY, and currently as the Director of Government and Community Affairs for the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction. These roles have come with a multiplicity of experiences, opportunities, memories, and the forming of partnerships, that have transcended the traditional professional path, and have transformed me into the educator that stands before you today, simply a man with many friends.
I am happy to announce I will be joining the team at Participate Learning, in working to support teachers, school leaders, and students, by sharing the wonders that make up our world, through global education resources, professional learning opportunities, and immersion experiences and programs. I am blessed to join a teaching program that embodies my passion and values for cultural exchange and global teacher leadership and that will impact thousands of students, international teachers, and local educators, throughout NC, VA, TN, and SC.I am honored to join a force for good, for students, schools, communities, in developing global citizenship through a collaborative mission of uniting the world through global learning. We ALL have a choice to be a catalysts for changing lives and I am thrilled to be making this choice to join forces with, Participate Learning, and ALL of you, committed to empowering our states’ educational system, on a new and exciting journey. This is simply one step closer to becoming the Village Teacher . . .
Listen to Freebird's complete remarks - SBE Audio 2.3.22 @ 3:09:20
Freebird McKinney
Director of the Office of Government and Community Affairs
“We Strive and Rise, Together.”
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Celebrating Black History Month
NC Public Schools-@ncpublicschools: February is #BlackHistoryMonth. During this month we celebrate Black Americans, past and present, who have made indelible contributions on U.S. and North Carolina history with their artistry, professional achievements and community activism.
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February State Board of Education Meeting
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Governor’s School Gets a New Western Campus at Winston-Salem State
The N.C. State Board of Education was updated on the new site for the selective residential summer program for gifted and talented rising high school juniors and seniors. The new campus represents a return of the Governor’s School to Winston-Salem, where it began at Salem College in 1963. Read the News Release here.
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State Superintendent's Report: The Year of the Workforce
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Goal 1: Prepare the future workforce with the skills and experiences required to be successful productive citizens, providing a robust talent pipeline that powers the State’s economic development efforts.
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Goal 2: Ensure that all students have access to postsecondary pathways that align with growing, high wage careers that meet local, regional, and/or statewide industry demand for talent.
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Goal 3: Assist all students and parents in making informed plans and decisions about future education and career opportunities.
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Goal 4: Ensure that all students engage in career exploration and real-world learning activities throughout the K-12 journey.
Legislative & Community Affairs Update
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Mr. Freebird McKinney (Director of Legislative and Community Affairs)
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Ms. Julie Paige Pittman (Special Advisor to the Superintendent: Teacher Engagement)
Committee Focus for Spring 2022
- Promising Practices and Pockets of Promise
- District models serving Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child
- EPP partnerships: Lab Schools, Teacher Prep, Teacher Recruitment
- Pipeline Initiatives and Support: TeachNC, Teacher Cadet, Teaching Profession Communication
- Teacher Input and Feedback: Regional Teacher Talks
- Teacher Leadership Partnerships: Fellowships, Regional Models, EPP Support, District Initiatives
Policy Influencing - Engaging Educator Diplomacy
- Using one’s collective educational experience, insight, and understanding, through an asset-based, solution minded, strategic process, to influence policy making.
- This mindset is always student focused, educator driven, and includes multiple perspectives of the impacted community, considering the multiplicity of lenses used in the policy making process.
- Utilizing ALL partnerships to advance ideas, strategies, and programs that speak to the ultimate goal of advancing NC Public Education and serving our students, families, and communities.
- Maintaining an empowering, encouraging, and inspiring disposition that reflects the imbuing of educational opportunity as the ultimate deterring factor for an individual’s self-actualization, personally and professionally.
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February is Career and Technical Education Month
The mission of Career and Technical Education (CTE) is to empower all students to be successful citizens, workers and leaders in a global economy. CTE gives purpose to learning by emphasizing real-world skills and practical knowledge.
Real options for students for college and rewarding careers
Real-world skills for students
Real middle and high school experience with more value for students
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UNC System Schools with Colleges of Education
NC Independent Colleges and Universities with Colleges of Education
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